Austin Fire Department Apparatus Lacking Air Conditioning

[Mackenzie Kelly]

Colleagues,

Yesterday, I had the privilege of visiting Central Fire Station in downtown Austin and spent time with the dedicated firefighters on shift. During my visit, I gained valuable insights into some of their pressing needs, one of which is the lack of air conditioning in over 20 fire trucks. The extreme heat in Texas can pose significant risks to our brave firefighters, who tirelessly serve their community in challenging conditions, often with heavy equipment.

For the safety and well-being of our firefighters, I have submitted a memorandum to Interim City Manager Garza today, urgently requesting immediate action on this matter. It is crucial that we address this issue promptly, as public safety professionals should have the necessary resources to carry out their duties effectively, especially during extreme weather conditions.

Please find the memorandum link (http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 120044.pdf), and I encourage all of you to lend your support to this important initiative. Our firefighters put their lives on the line for us every day, and we owe it to them to provide a safe and conducive working environment.

I also propose that this matter be included as an agenda item in the upcoming Public Safety Committee meeting on August 7th, 2023. By discussing it at this level, we can demonstrate our commitment to prioritizing the health and safety of our firefighters.

Let's stand together to ensure the well-being of our dedicated firefighters and reinforce our commitment to safeguarding those who protect our community.

Warm Regards,

mk

[Vanessa Fuentes]

Thank you, CM Kelly, for calling attention to this issue. The lack of functioning A/C units across City of Austin vehicles is a widespread issue, including in our Austin Resource Recovery collection trucks. We need to be thinking about ALL City of Austin employees during this extreme heat.

I am also committed to ensuring the safety of City workers and would like to see this budget cycle prioritize A/C functionality remaining operable across city services.

Yours in community,
Vanessa